Enforcers Opress Businessman Who Was Among Top-200 Most Influential In Belarus

The businessman is charged under several articles of the Criminal Code.

The Investigative Committee initiated a special investigation against a major Polatsk businessman Uladzimir Zakharau, zerkalo.io reports citing the press service of the investagators.

The Investigative Committee opened a special case on April 12. A businessman is charged under several articles of the Criminal Code:

• Part 3, Art. 243 (Large-scale tax evasion);

• Part 2, Art. 243-1 (Evasion of the duties of a tax agent to transfer taxes on an especially large scale);

• Part 1, Art. 243-3 (Evasion of insurance premiums);

• Art. 369-1 (Discrediting the Republic of Belarus).

A man is offered to visit the Vitebsk Investigative Committee Department.

Who is Uladzimir Zakharau

Uladzimir Zakharau owned most of the retail space in Polatsk and Navapolatsk. These are large shopping malls, a hypermarket, the Streletsky market. Previously, Zakharau owned the Kvant TV channel and the Inform-Plus newspaper, the Winreal distillery.

It is also known about Zakharau that he is a professional poker player, the winner of international tournaments.

In 2020, the Polatsk District Executive Committee appealed to Uladzimir Zakharau with a request to reduce rent due to the "current epidemiological situation" due to the coronavirus. Then the entrepreneur answered the authorities boldly and quite harshly.

“When you do something about it, then we can easily reduce the tenants' obligations to us. In the existing conditions of your inaction, this is impossible. Not because we do not want it, but because you do nothing," Uladzimir Zakharau answered.

The businessman then confirmed to journalists that he had indeed sent such an answer to the Polatsk District Executive Committee.

“For what is happening now [the situation with the coronavirus - Ed.], we are experiencing no less than the authorities. We don't want to make money from it. I said it because it was already hot. However, this answer is not antipodal. The authorities should do at least the minimum that suggests itself. I indicated this in five paragraphs in the letter. If we [business and government - Ed] do not do something together now, nothing will happen," the businessman said.